Every profession has it’s ups and downs. Traditionally, dentistry could be quite lonely in that most dentists practiced by themselves and had few colleagues to bounce thoughts and ideas off of. There are days, like delivering a new set of teeth or taking off a kids braces, that can be quite rewarding. On others, the grind of patient pain and patient frustration can be dis-heartening and worrisome for dental teams. Fortunately, the internet has opened avenues for dentists across the world to converse, share ideas, solve problems, and improve patient care.

Below is a peek into what dentists are talking about right now.

Retirement. Fifty percent of U.S. dentists are male and over the age of fifty-five. To this demographic, retirement is always a hot topic. Add on the last recession and current stock market performance and you’ve got a hopping discussion.

Technology. Dentists are constantly talking to colleagues to see if the latest and greatest tech is right for their practice and their patients. This is another ongoing hot topic.

Sterilization. Yep. A scintillating discussion on the types of bags used to keep instruments sterile after they have been autoclaved. I’ll spare the details and keep your suspense going.

Runny, tooth colored filling material. Believe it or not, there are hundreds if not thousands of brands and types of tooth colored, plastic filling material. Dentists are always looking for the best for every situation. The experiences of others is always a good measure to gauge success.

Medical insurance. The advent of Obamacare has changed a lot of aspects of healthcare. For most general dentists, this is not an issue because medical insurance has yet to cover dental care. Oral surgeons, on the other hand, often treat dental patients who have related medical conditions such as cancers and traumas (gunshot wounds, auto accidents, etc.) A respected and talented oral surgeon weighs in on eight hour operations that never got paid for by health insurance companies. In the end, both patients and doctors suffer from these situations.

Meth mouth. A dentist shares the unfortunate case of a twenty-something who needs every tooth removed secondary to damage from a drug habit. It’s a sad situation that happens way to often.

And that’s a quick peek into six subjects on the mind of dentists today. Exciting, isn’t it?

Until next week, keep smiling.

-Please send questions and comments to Drs. Parrish at www.ParrishDental.com.